


The Horsewomen of Pokemon: Charlotte

by LiteratureLocker



Series: The Horsewomen of Pokemon [5]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: But she's just kinda okay, Charlotte on her own - OTP, Charlotte thinks she's hot shit, Coming of Age, Gen, Pokemon, Pokemon/WWE Crossover, The Horsewomen, but as angsty teenagers, or at least Charlotte is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-05-15 21:25:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19304125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteratureLocker/pseuds/LiteratureLocker
Summary: Charlotte turned 14 a few months ago, now it's her turn to go out there and carry on the Flair legacy.  Will she live up to Ric's expectations, or will she fall on her face?  And how much more attitude can her Squirtle get?





	1. A Flair and her.... Squirtle?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, lovely people who were interested enough to at least click on this! Somehow, and I still don't know how AP talked me into writing the Charlotte side of this story. I know both Relentlass and AP have been writing the other three horsewomen stories for a few months now, so my first few chapters will be longer and a little rushed so I can catch Charlotte up with the other three. I hope you like it! And thanks for at least stopping by!
> 
> ___________________

Twenty-two hours ago the countdown had officially started.  

 

Well, it had officially started for the other three young teenagers of Pallet Town.  They were probably excited for this moment, pent up with so much nervous energy that they couldn’t sit still.   _ That wouldn’t be anything new for Becky, _ she thought, the voice inside her head sounding more and more like her father each day.  

 

She could even picture Sasha and Bayley pacing around their houses, waiting until that clock hit the right time before they could all head over to Professor Angle’s to choose their first pokemon.  They would be smiling, excited and happy. All because their countdown had started twenty-two hours ago. 

 

Her dad, the infamous Ric Flair had started the countdown months ago when Charlotte had finally turned fourteen.  “It’s time for you to carry on the Flair legacy, Lottie,” he had said over and over again ever since her birthday.  It had become his mantra, something for him to boast about to all of his friends and business associates. She hadn’t even done anything yet, and he was already singing her praises and bragging about how good she was going to be.  So his countdown had started a few months ago.

 

But Charlotte?  Her countdown started the day she was born.  

 

It had been constant.  All of the stories about the Elite 4.  All of the training, learning to identify different types of pokemon and being able to recite their strengths and weaknesses by the age of seven.  Her father’s constant nagging and badgering of her, pushing her to be the best, to be better than him… it had been exhausting. 

 

_ “The day is getting closer now.  The only thing to do is win. It’s what we Flair’s were born to do.  It’s in our DNA.” _

 

_ “We are genetically superior in every way, Lottie.  Don’t you forget that. We were born to be the best, it’s our destiny. _ ”

 

Charlotte ran her hands through her long blonde hair.  The many lessons her father had tried to teach her were rattling around in her head more than ever.  Because even though her countdown started fourteen years ago, it kicked it into second gear in the last twenty-two hours.

 

So now here she was, sitting on her bed, staring at the wall.  Her bag was packed, had been for about two days now, and was lying neatly beside her.  She ran down a mental checklist of everything that she had put in there. What would the others think if she showed up to get her pokemon and didn’t have any of the right supplies?

 

_ Clothes?  Check. _

 

_ Tool kit?  Check. _

 

_ First aid kit?  Check.  _

 

_ Water bottle?  Check. _

 

_ Rope?  Check. _

 

_ Sleeping bag?  Ugh, check. _

 

That last one was something she hoped she never had to use.  She was a Flair after all, and Flair’s didn’t look anything less than one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time.  

 

She would also grab some food before she left Pallet Town for good.  Her father had encouraged her to buy some protein-rich meal supplement bars that she would put in her bag once she was done at the lab.  

 

_ Speaking of, _ she thought to herself.   _ Might as well head over.  Don’t want to be the last one there. _

 

Charlotte sighed, stood, placed her hand carefully on top of her bag almost reverently, and then took a deep breath.  She exhaled slowly and counted to ten before turning and walking out of her bedroom and further into the house she shared with her father and his rotating list of girlfriends.  Her brothers had moved out years ago to continued their quest to be the best trainers they could be. And the last she talked to them, they were both doing really well. Their fire type pokemon were sweeping most of the competition that stepped up to challenge.  

 

Such was being a Flair. The push to be a great fire type trainer that was ruthless and showed no mercy.  One that was strong and relentless. 

 

“Hey, Lottie!  You ready to go?”

 

Charlotte flinched inwardly.  She absolutely hated being called that, it was what her mother had called her when she was growing up.  But now that her mother was gone, Charlotte hated when other people used that particular nickname. Especially if that person was her father.

 

“Yeah dad, I’m ready,” she mumbled as her eyes suddenly found the floor very interesting.  

 

“You don’t sound it!” Ric Flair all but boomed in the small kitchen as he walked around the counter and stood in front of his daughter.  He grabbed her shoulders tightly. “You should be more excited! It’s your big day! Time to go get your Charmander from Professor Angle so you can set this world on fire.  Flair-style!”

 

Charlotte shifted her weight back and forth, her eyes never leaving the toes of her shoes.  She knew what was coming, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. It was so stupid, arrogant, and embarrassing, but the longer the silence stretched in the room, the more awkward it became between them.  

 

“Oh come on, Lottie!  Do it one last time before you go.”

 

“Daaaaddd,” Charlotte whined.  “Do I have to?”

 

“Please?  For me?”

 

Charlotte rolled her eyes and let a loud sigh.  “Fine! I’ll do it.”

 

“That’s my girl.  Now go out there and do it with Flair!”

 

“Wooo!” Charlotte exclaimed, relieved when her father finally let her go.  He roughly pats on the back a few times. 

 

“Go on now, a Flair is never late.  Especially when it comes to getting their first fire type pokemon!”

 

“Yes, dad,” Charlotte sighed as she walked out of the house, glad to leave the obnoxiously red building behind.  It would be too soon if she had to move back in there. The atmosphere was suffocating and her father overbearing.  If Charlotte had her way, she would have been at a Pokemon Academy years ago. 

 

The walk to the lab was short, and she ended up being about ten minutes early.  But when she tried the door, it was locked so Charlotte resigned herself to waiting outside until the professor decided to let them in.  She hoped it wouldn’t take too long. She wanted to slip in and get Charmander before any of the others showed up. She  _ needed _ to come home with a fire type pokemon, otherwise, her father would skin her alive.  

 

Only a few minutes passed before Charlotte spotted Sasha Banks walking up to the lab.  Her plan of being in and out before the others even showed was just blown to hell. “Nice of you to show up,” she let her father’s arrogance and confidence drip from her tone.  She couldn’t let the other girl know just how nervous she was now that there was competition for the Charmander. 

 

“Well, I arrived when I felt my presence was needed,” Sasha fired back without hesitating.  If Charlotte was being honest, it wasn’t Sasha’s best comeback, but she did appreciate that Sasha never backed down from a competition…even if it was tossing insults back and forth.  

 

Charlotte snorted in an attempt to keep her mask in place.   _ Never let them see you squirm, _ her father’s voice rang out in her mind.  “Your presence isn’t actually needed, Sasha.  In fact, you can just go. I certainly don’t need or want you here,” she snapped at the shorter girl.  

 

“What is your problem?  You walk around here like you’re royalty.  Newsflash Charlotte, nobody likes you.”

 

Charlotte kept her face impassive.  There was no way in hell she was going to let Sasha know just how much that comment hurt.  Because it did. She felt every word of what Sasha said deep in her soul. But it was something that her family had been preparing her for, ever since she was little.  Their family mantra may as well be “it’s lonely at the top.” 

 

Instead, she took her embarrassment and shoved it away, letting her anger take hold.  “Better to be disliked than to have people fake being nice to me so they can get at my brother.”  She tossed in a wink for good measure. 

 

She was waiting for Sasha to say something else when she noticed a flash of orange dart past her in her peripheral vision.  The door to the lab opened and shut quickly making Charlotte pause.  _ When did Professor Angle unlock that?   _ She asked herself.  The pause gave Sasha just enough of a head start to slip past her as well.  “Oh I don’t think so,” she grumbled to herself as she pivoted quickly, but not quite fast enough to beat the door.

 

Her jaw dropped open in disbelief as Sasha basically let the door close in her face.  It was common knowledge that the two of them rarely got along. But she could’ve still acted like a decent human being and held it long enough for her to at least grab hold of it.  “Rude,” Charlotte exclaimed as she ripped the door open and strode into the lab. 

As they stood there waiting for Bayley to arrive, Charlotte scolded herself for going from the first to arrive, to the third.  If Angle was going to go in order, she would have to pick third, and with Sasha technically beating her here she knew she would lose Charmander to the other girl.  

 

There was also Becky to take into consideration.  It was almost a given that Sasha would pick the fire type pokemon seeing as she hadn’t stopped talking about it for months.  But Becky… she wasn’t sure which one Becky would pick. And if she had to lose Charmander to anyone, it absolutely could not be the gearhead herself.  She’d be able to explain to her dad that Sasha or Bayley had gotten the fire lizard and he might accept it based on both Sasha’s and Bayley’s family history.  To lose it to the daughter of the town’s mechanics, however… that would be unacceptable. 

 

Charlotte must have gotten lost in her own head because there was another sudden flash of orange as Becky took off for the table holding the Pokeballs.  She almost had a hold on the Charmander Pokeball when Charlotte finally caught up to her and tackled her to the ground, sending the Pokeball rolling across the floor.  

Charlotte scrambled onto Becky’s back, trying to stop her from getting the Pokeball in her grasp.  Becky’s elbow made contact with Charlotte’s stomach, forcing her to roll to the side. She kept her hold on Becky’s leg though and pulls the other girl on top of her.  

 

“Stop!  I saw it first!”  Becky yelled as she started to fight back against Charlotte’s hold.

 

Charlotte was forced on the defensive as Becky tried to break out of the blonde’s grip.  After another knee to her stomach, Charlotte rolled over to protect it. “Let me have it, I need Charmander more than you,” she growled as she tried to crawl towards the Pokeball even with Becky on her back.  

 

Becky leaned over Charlotte’s shoulder and reached for the discarded ball, her fingertips just barely grazing the edge of it.  Charlotte jerked under her at that exact moment, causing Becky’s fingers to send the ball rolling right to Sasha’s feet. 

 

What happened next looked like slow motion to Charlotte, shattering her heart as it played out.

 

Sasha bent down and picked up the Pokeball, a look of utter glee on her face.  “Thanks!” she exclaimed. “Just the one I wanted.”

 

Charlotte’s now broken heart plummeted and settled near her feet, tearing up her insides as it went.  She had hoped that she would be able to explain to her dad that Sasha won it fair and square, but this… this she couldn’t explain.  He was going to be so disappointed.

 

In an effort to not show any emotion, Charlotte bucked Becky off of her back and stood, dusting off her clothes once she was on her feet.  She tried her best to walk regally and confidently up to the table, grabbing the first Pokeball she saw. “Fine,” she huffed. “I don’t need Charmander to succeed.”  She took her new Pokemon:  _ Squirtle _ her brain supplied and walked out of the lab with her head held high.  Her mind was already so far gone with coming up with excuses her dad might buy, that she didn’t even notice Bayley had entered the lab.  

 

Once the doors to the lab closed behind her, Charlotte let the confidence bleed off of her.  She had no idea how she was going to tell her father that not only didn’t she get the  _ one _ Pokemon that would let her keep up with the Flair legacy but in a fit of arrogance and stupidity, she had grabbed the  _ only Pokemon there _ that could be stronger than her entire family’s fighting line.  Her father would disown her for sure. 

 

Maybe if she was quick enough, she could sneak into the house, grab her bag and leave before he noticed that she had come home.  She could leave the food supplies behind and just grab more from the store. She had, after all, been saving her money for the last few years to prepare for this.

 

She sighed and felt her shoulders sag even further.  No need to keep denying the inevitable.  _ Maybe he won’t be that upset, _ she tried to reason.   _ Maybe he’ll be so excited that you finally have your Pokemon that he won’t care that it’s a Squirtle and not a Charmander.   _ She scoffed at that last one.  There was no way that her father would be excited about this latest development.  

 

Unfortunately for her, the walk from Professor Angle’s lab to her family’s house was only a few minutes, even with her dragging her feet the whole way.  When she reached the front door, she hesitated. “Okay, Squirtle. Here we go. Time to meet my maker.”

 

She blew a breath out between pursed lips and squared her shoulders.  Gone was Charlotte the girl, and in her place was Charlotte Flair, daughter of one of the Elite 4.  She pushed the door open and tried to shut it as quietly as possible, cringing when one of the hinges squeaked.

 

“Lottie?  Back already?” Her father came into the living room from further back in the house. 

 

“Yeah dad, it’s me.  I got to choose second, so there wasn’t a reason to stick around.”

 

Ric paused, his posture becoming almost rigid.  “But you still got the Charmander right?” his eyes narrowed.

 

Charlotte could feel her bravado fading.  “About that….”

 

“You got the Charmander, right?” her father interrupted her, his contempt for the other Pokemon becoming more obvious with every passing second. 

 

Charlotte shrugs rather unhelpfully.  “I tried! But Becky was trying to get it, and I had to stop her and we--”

 

Ric’s hand shot up, cutting Charlotte off, her hands automatically grasping each other in front of her thighs and her eyes immediately finding the floor.  “That is  _ not _ what I asked, Charlotte.  I asked if you got the Charmander.  It is a simple yes or no question. You know every one of our family members as far back as my grandfather has started with a Charmander.  So I will ask you again. Did you get the Charmander?” 

 

Charlotte bit the inside of her cheek to stop the tears from forming in her eyes.  Of course, he would toss in the family history with fire type Pokemon, as if she didn’t feel shitty enough as it was.  “No father. I didn’t get the Charmander. Sasha did.”

 

“I see.  Banks was quicker than you once again.  She’s been doing that a lot lately, hasn’t she?”

 

Charlotte could feel her shoulders curling in further.  “Yes, father.”

 

He started to pace, his hands clasped behind his back.  “So if you didn’t get the Charmander, which one did you get?”

  
  


“Squirtle,” Charlotte mumbled mostly to herself.  

 

Ric went still again.  “What did you just say?  And look at me when I’m talking to you!”

 

Charlotte jumped at the volume of her father’s voice.  She leveled her eyes on him a second before letting them dart to the side.  “Squirtle, sir,” she answered a little louder. 

 

Ric’s face went pale, his head nodding almost numbly.  “I see,” he all but whispers. The disappointment could be heard loud and clear though.  It all but screamed that his daughter was a disappointment for choosing the Pokemon that had a type advantage against the entire Flair family.  Everyone would see it as an act of rebellion instead of the accident it actually is. 

 

Charlotte fidgeted in place for a few more seconds, waiting for her father to say something else.  But he surprised her by simply turning around and walking back into his bedroom and closing the door.  She stood there a little longer in case he came back in. 

 

A few minutes past and realization finally set, settling cold and unwanted in her stomach.  He wasn’t going to come out and say goodbye to her. 

 

That was it.  

 

He was just going to wait until she left.  He wasn’t going to say goodbye to his only daughter simply because she had picked a water-based Pokemon.  

 

The tears formed in her eyes, and she choked down the sob that wanted to tear its way out of her throat.  If she had any doubt that she hated her father and this path he had forced on her, it was long gone at this point.  She just knew that she had to leave, so she ran into the kitchen, grabbed her food and sprinted to her room. The one minor relief in all of this was that her bag was already packed and ready to go.  That made fleeing the house that much easier. 

 

Once she had her pack, her new Pokemon and her Pokedex, Charlotte ran out of the house and let the door slam behind her.  She hoped her father heard that, hoped he felt bad that she had left. She hoped he felt a lot of things about how he chose to act, but she knew he wouldn’t.  He never really cared about anything that didn’t concern the Elite 4. 

 

Charlotte ran, the tears clouding her vision as she moved through the streets and all the way to the edge of the town.  She was thankful that she hadn’t encountered anyone as she ran. That would have been a little too much for her to deal with at that moment.  

 

She veered off the trail about thirty feet outside of town, finding a tree that she could hide behind to give herself a minute to collect herself.  As upset as she was with her father right now, she was still a Flair. And there was no way that a Flair could be seen showing weakness in public. Her family had always made sure that she understood that.  Public appearance was everything.

 

She leaned up against the tree, her hands covering her face and she took a few deep breaths.  She did this until she felt her breathing even out. “Come on Flair, get it together. This is not how a serious pokemon trainer acts.  Let’s go.”

 

Charlotte let herself slide down so she was sitting on the ground, her back leaning against the tree.  Now seemed like as good a time as any to take a break and grab something to eat. She had been too nervous that morning to actually eat breakfast, so eating now was probably a good idea anyway.  

She pulled one of the meal bars out of her bag and started to munch on it as she also unfolded the map she had barely remembered to pack.  She had spent so much time thinking about this day, dreaming about where she could go and what she could do. So much of her childhood had been about getting ready for today, but now that she was here she honestly had no idea where to go next.  

 

Looking at the map unfolded on her lap, she studied the surrounding towns and cities, trying to decide which one would be the best one to start in.  Obviously, Viridian City was the most logical choice since it was the closest. And if she left now, she could make it there either tonight or early tomorrow morning.  

 

The only problem was that if she went right to Viridian City, her Squirtle May not be ready for the gym battle.  If the gym leaders were anything like her father or brothers, they would be difficult to beat.

 

_ I’m training you young for a reason, Lottie.  Now you’ll know that you can take anyone in battle with your Pokemon.   _ Her father’s voice rang out loud and clear in her mind as she sat there staring at the map.  

 

“That’s that then, I guess.”  She shrugged, having made up her mind.  No time like the present to start proving herself to her father.  Maybe if she manages to beat the Viridian City gym leader with just her Squirtle, he’ll finally start to pay attention to her.

 

Gripping the meal bar between her teeth and cursing slightly at the bland flavoring, she tossed her map back into her backpack and stood up.  She took a second to dust herself off and then pulled the backpack onto her back. 

 

Sending one last look at Pallet Town, she turned and started walking along the trail towards Viridian City.

 

For the first hour, it wasn’t too bad.  But soon after that hour ended, Charlotte found herself becoming slightly bored.  She sighed, wishing she had thought of something to keep her mind off of just simply walking.  Her hand wandered to where Squirtle’s Pokeball was attached to her belt, momentarily toying with the idea of letting it out.  At least then she’d have a little company. 

 

But then her father’s voice came back, reminding her that her Pokemon were not pets, they were simply tools at becoming successful.  Blunt instruments for her to wield in order to continue the Flair legacy.

 

She let her hand drift away from the Pokeball as she continued on her way, her mind wandering back to the fight she and her father had before she left.  She was so caught up in her thoughts that she missed the first acorn that just missed her head. 

 

The second one didn’t miss, hitting her square between the eyes.  “What the hell?” She stopped, her hand flying up to rub at the mark.

 

“ _ Pidgey!  Pidgey!” _

 

Charlotte narrowed her eyes as the bird pokemon flew close to her head, dropping a third acorn as it passed.  “You little shit,” she seethed. “You wanna go? We can go.” 

 

She pulled the Pokeball off of her belt and tossed it.  “Let’s see what you can do Squirtle!”

 

There was a flash of light and a decent sized Squirtle was there, blinking confusedly up at the sun.  It turned to look at Charlotte and then ducked its head into its shell when the Pidgey did a dive bomb at its head.  

 

“Squirtle, use tackle!”

 

The Squirtle wiggled a little which Charlotte took as a confirmation.  A split second later, Squirtle’s head popped back out of its shell and it ran at the Pidgey who had just landed, unfortunately, in front of Squirtle and Charlotte.  

 

Pidgey took the damage dealt it and then turned its attention on Squirtle.  Charlotte took a gamble with what attack it might try and yelled out “Squirtle!  Close your eyes!”

 

The Pidgey’s sand attack blew over Squirtle but didn’t get into its eyes.  “Good job. Use tackle again!”

 

Squirtle responded by throwing itself at the Pidgey, it’s hard shell making contact with Pidgey’s head.  The Pidgey went cross-eyed for a second before it fell over, unable to continue the fight any more.

 

“Good work Squirtle,” said as she returned Squirtle to its Pokeball.  Charlotte smiled to herself as she continued on her way to Viridian City.  

 

Along the way, she ran into several more wild Pidgey’s and a few wild Ratata’s.  All seven of them were dispatched with relative ease by Squirtle, who was shaping up to be a decent fighter. 

 

As far as Charlotte could tell, it was a female.  She found that out after she accidentally called it a “he” and she tried to use Bubble on Charlotte.  That also meant that this particular Squirtle has some attitude and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

 

All of this was good news for Charlotte.  It meant that with the right training, her Squirtle would be a force to be reckoned with.  In time that is. Right now, her Squirtle was pretty middle of the road.

 

But all of that was behind her now as she finally walked into Viridian City just as the moon was starting to rise.  She had finished the trip in the darkness, having forgotten to pack a flashlight. She made a note to stop by the market the next day and see if she could buy one.  But that would have to wait until after her battle at the gym. 

 

Making a left and following signs for the Pokemon Center, Charlotte opened the door and stepped inside.  She smiled politely at the Nurse Joy behind the counter as she approached. 

 

The nurse smiled back in an almost creepily unrealistic way.  “Welcome to the Pokemon Center. How can I help you?”

 

Charlotte pulled her Pokeball off her belt and placed it on the counter.  “Can you heal my Pokemon, please?”

 

“Of course we can!  Is there anything else I can do for you?”

 

Charlotte rocked a little back and forth on her feet.  “Is there any way I could get a room for the night?”

 

Nurse Joy smiled.  “Of course! We have one more room available.  Here’s the key, laundry services are on the main floor and if you get hungry, there’s a cafe down the street that offers a discount for Pokémon trainers.”

 

Charlotte took the key and thanked Nurse Joy, who smiled at Charlotte and then put her Pokeball up in the machine.  Charlotte informed her that she would be back for her Squirtle in the morning. 

 

Charlotte then shouldered her backpack and went to get some sleep in her room.

  
  


_________________

  
  


Charlotte rose early the next morning, her mind squarely set on beating the trainer at the gym and getting the Earth Badge.  Doing that on day two of being a trainer and with nothing other than one Pokémon would surely make her father take notice.

 

She packed her gear, went to gather her Squirtle and made her way to the gym, once again too nervous to eat breakfast.  She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and opened the doors.

 

Once inside, the decor screamed of ground-based pokemon which automatically put Charlotte at a disadvantage.  As she stood there looking around, she was met by a young woman with blonde hair and a bright smile. “Hi there, can I help you?”

 

Charlotte cleared her throat.  “Yeah. I’d like to challenge the gym leader for a badge,” she declared in as confident a tone as she could manage.

 

“Oh!  Samoa Joe will absolutely give you a battle.  Follow me,” the blonde turned and led Charlotte into a room that had bleacher seating on two sides and an open floor in the middle.  She gestured for Charlotte to stand at one end of the stadium, while she continued on to the other side. She turned around and if possible, her smile not only grew but also turned menacing.

 

“I’ll get Samoa Joe for your battle if you can beat me!”

 

Charlotte felt her confidence deflate.  Her father warned her about the junior trainers at the gyms and how they would try and trick you into battles.  She had faith that her Squirtle would stand up well in a battle against the leader, this Samoa Joe. But in two battles?  Charlotte wasn’t sure that Squirtle would have it in her.

 

Charlotte ground her teeth. “That’s low.  But we’ll still take you!” 

 

She grabbed her Pokeball and released Squirtle into the middle of the stadium floor.  Squirtle blinked a few times as she looked around the gym, looking disinterested with everything going on.

 

“I chose you, Gligar!”

 

A pink bat-like pokemon appeared in front of Squirtle, looking focused and ready.  Squirtle continued its bored scanning of the room.

 

“Squirtle!  Get ready!” Charlotte all but snapped at her pokemon, her embarrassment growing as Squirtle yawned and slowly turned to blink a few times at Gligar.  

 

The blonde snickered, making Charlotte blush.  “Squirtle! Use tackle!”

 

Squirtle took action immediately, catching both the other trainer and her Gligar off guard.  The blonde tried to order her Gligar to dodge, but she was too slow. 

 

“Gligar!  Poison sting!”

 

“Squirtle dodge!” Charlotte yelled before the other trainer was done calling for her attack.

 

“ _ Squirtle!”  _  The Pokemon seemed to be taunting the Gligar as it’s attack missed.

 

“Squirtle use bubble!”

 

Squirtle nodded as it unleashed its attack.  Charlotte smiling as it seemed to knock the Gligar back.  

 

“Gligar, quick attack!”

 

Charlotte chuckled at the predictability of that attack.  “Squirtle! Avoid the attack and counter with tackle!”

 

Squirtle effortlessly danced away from the Gligar’s attack, countering with an attack of her own. 

 

The older blonde gasped as Squirtle launched itself at her Gligar, ducking into its shell at the last second, and sending the hard part of its shell slamming into Gligar’s face.

 

The bat-like Pokemon wobbled on its feet for a few seconds before it fell over.  The blonde stomped her foot, a look of shock on her face. “You cheated!”

 

Charlotte stopped short from going to check on Squirtle who was poking just the top of her head out of the shell, one eye surveying the damage.  “I cheated!? How did I cheat!?”

 

The blonde huffed. “I don’t know, but you did!”

 

Charlotte pointed her finger at the other girl and started towards her.  “Listen here. Do you know who I am?”

 

“Charlotte Flair,” a loud, deep voice echoed through the room.  “And with a Squirtle no less. Interesting. I’m sure your father was thrilled.”

 

Charlotte tried her best to keep the pain of hearing about her father’s disappointment off her face.  She turned to face the large man who had entered the room from a door at the back. “He was…. surprised,” she answered.

 

The large man chuckled.  “Face it, Candice, she beat you fair and square.  She’s a Flair, and Flairs do not cheat.”

 

“But,” Candice tried to protest, but she was cut off by Samoa Joe raising his hand.  

 

“Go rest your Gligar.  I’ll take on young Miss Flair’s challenge.”

 

He turned to Charlotte.  “I don’t see any other Pokeballs on your belt.  You only have the Squirtle?”

 

He gestured at the Pokemon who was now up and waddling back to Charlotte’s side.  Charlotte rested her hand on Squirtle’s head once it was standing next to her. 

 

Her eyes narrowed.  “Is that a problem?”

 

Samoa Joe let out a bark of a laugh when Squirtle’s eyes narrowed too, showing off how offended it was by the suggestion.  “Not for me. For you two, however, it may prove a hindrance.”

 

“We’ll see about that.  I challenge you.”

 

Samoa Joe waved off Charlotte’s declaration. “Yes, yes.  So you’ve said. No need to be dramatic about it. Let’s keep things interesting, shall we?  Make it a one on one battle?”

 

Charlotte shrugs and gestures at the space between them with the hand that’s not resting on Squirtle’s head.  “However you want to do it. It is your gym.”

 

Samoa Joe’s smile fell a little.  “You either inherited your father’s arrogance, or you’re just not as smart as the rest of your family.”

 

Charlotte’s shoulders tensed.  “Probably a bit of both. Are we doing this, or not?”

 

“We’re doing this,” he smirked.  “Rhyhorn, let’s go!”

 

Charlotte gasped as a large rock Pokemon appeared before them.  It easily towered over Squirtle. Squirtle looked up at Charlotte, confusion clear on its face.  Charlotte looked down and nodded. “We can do this,” she assured her Pokemon. “You’re just as strong as his Rhyhorn.  We got this.”

 

Squirtle’s face morphed into one of determination.  “ _ Squirtle,” _ it said with a single head nod.  It turned and marched its tiny self over so she was standing across from the Rhyhorn.

 

Samoa Joe’s smirk grew.  “Let’s begin then, shall we?”

 

Charlotte nodded.  “Squirtle, tail whip!”

 

“ _ Squirtle!”  _ Her Pokemon yelled as it turned and completed the attack.  

 

Rhyhorn dodged the attack easily.

 

“Squirtle, get ready to dodge!  Then counter!”

 

Squirtle dropped into a low squat, it’s butt wiggling a little as it waited to see what Rhyhorn was going to attack with. 

 

“Rhyhorn, use stomp!  Let’s end this quick!”

 

Squirtle didn’t even wait to hear a command from Charlotte as it dropped to all fours and ran towards Rhyhorn, using its size disadvantage to its favor.  Squirtle easily dodged Rhyhorns legs, came up on its right side and used tackle, throwing its body against Rhyhorn’s exposed flank.

 

“Nice Squirtle!  Fall back a little and get ready for the next one!”

 

Squirtle obeyed, making it most of the way before it got clipped by Rhyhorn’s horn attack.  “Squirtle!” Charlotte yelled, surprising herself at her outburst. 

 

Squirtle skidded to a stop near Charlotte’s feet but didn’t stay down long as it flipped over easily and got back onto its feet.  Squirtle huffed as it turned back to the Rhyhorn. 

 

“Good strategy.  Let’s do it again.  Use tackle, and then stay in close,” Charlotte whispered to her Squirtle, who nodded.  Then it was off running to the feet of Rhyhorn again. 

 

Rhyhorn tried to stomp on the annoying turtle Pokemon, but couldn’t seem to make contact.  

 

“Tackle!   Now!”

 

Squirtle ran out by Rhyhorn’s front legs, jumped up and pulled itself back into its shell again, grunting as it made hard contact with Rhyhorn’s head.  Squirtle landed and continued to dodge Rhyhorn’s legs.

 

Squirtle managed this type of attack at least twice more before Samoa Joe got tired of playing this game.  Not to mention that his Pokemon was looking a little worse for wear. “Rhyhorn, stomp now! Just stomp the ground as hard as you can!”

 

Rhyhorn obeyed, stomping the ground as hard as it could.  This caused the ground to shake, knocking Squirtle off balance.  

 

“Rhyhorn!  Rock throw!”

 

“Squirtle, try and stay under it!”

 

Squirtle scrambled to get back under Rhyhorn’s body, but it was a little too slow.  A large boulder slammed into the side of Squirtle’s body, sending it flying a good distance.

 

“Squirtle!  Get up! We’re so close!”

 

Squirtle tried to struggle to its feet, the pain obvious on its face.

 

Samoa Joe watched it for a second, impressed with Squirtle’s tenacity.  “Rhyhorn, Horn attack.”

 

“No!” Charlotte yelled, as upset at losing as she was with having to watch this final attack on her already injured Pokemon. 

 

The attack landed easily, rolling Squirtle onto its back.  Charlotte hung her head in defeat, her hand reaching up to call Squirtle back to its Pokeball.

 

Samoa Joe called his Rhyhorn back and then approached Charlotte.  “You did good kid. Got a little closer than I think you realize. Keep training that Squirtle and come back to try again.”

 

Charlotte struggles against the tears that were threatening to fall. She couldn’t help but feel like she had failed her father again.  “Yeah, thanks. I’ll do that.”

 

She sighed as she turned to leave the gym, the weight of her loss settling square on her shoulders.  Now she had to go heal her Squirtle, grab some supplies she forgot and then head on to the next gym. 

 

She wouldn’t fail again.

  
  



	2. A Flair in Viridian Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte Flair heads to Pewter City in order to get her first badge. She stops in Viridian Forest along the way to train her Squirtle, who continues to deal out the sass. Will these two ever work together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So........ This is more than a little late. And I apologize for that tremendously. I would like to go on and list a bunch of excuses here, but I really don't have any. So I won't waste your time. I do, however, want to thank everyone who has shown the first chapter some love. You guys are amazing, and I cannot thank you enough. I know a lot of writers will say that you're what keeps us motivated and I wish I could say that wasn't the case. But I'm an attention whore at heart, so I can't say that isn't true for me as well. I honestly love every hit, kudo and comment... they mean the world to me. You guys are the best!
> 
>  
> 
> ____________________

Charlotte walked out of the Pokemon Center with her newly healed Squirtle and a pack full of supplies.  She huffed out a breath of air as she tightened the straps on her pack and squinted into the sunlight. Her loss to Samoa Joe the day before had definitely stung a little, but she had tried her best, and her Squirtle had done rather well especially since they had only become a team the day before.  

 

_ Do you even hear yourself, Lottie? _   Her father’s voice mocked her inside her head.   _ You lost, and that is not acceptable for a Flair. _

 

Charlotte sighed and hung her head, her hands tightening on the straps.  Her father was right, there was no excuse for her loss against the Rhyhorn.  She and Squirtle would just have to train harder from here on out so that way she wouldn’t lose again.  

 

Lowering the sunglasses she had grabbed at the store, Charlotte turned and started her walk towards Pewter City.   She made it about ten steps before something barrelled straight into her. The wind was forced from her lungs as she barely managed to catch herself from falling over.  Not in the mood to deal with this, she wheeled on the person only to stop short when her eyes fell on a disheveled Sasha Banks cradling an obviously injured Charmander…the Pokémon that should have been Charlotte’s.  That was  _ her _ Charmander.  

 

Charlotte tried to keep the bite out of her question, but it slipped through at how badly it stung seeing Charmander with another trainer.  Especially with how disappointed her father had been when she didn’t come home with the fire type Pokémon. He hadn’t even said goodbye to his only daughter.  “Do you always run into people like that?”

 

She immediately felt bad and tried to help the shorter girl, “you have a twig in your hair,” she offered as a meager peace offering.  

 

Sasha stood and brushed the debris out of her hair, “I had to cut through the forest, Charmander is injured.”   
  
Again, the pain cut deep that not only was Charmander someone else’s, but it was also injured and exhausted.  Who did Sasha Banks think she was getting off like that with what should have been  _ Charlotte’s  _ Pokémon.  Before Charlotte could even remind herself that she was doing well with her Squirtle and that she was actually feeling happy with her Pokémon, she fell back on her old defenses.

 

“How pathetic,” she sneered, immediately ashamed at how much like her father she sounded, but in to deep at this point to stop herself.   “You spent this whole time stuck on that little path? While you’ve been wasting time, I’ve been here fighting real battles. My Squirtle is tough, she almost managed to beat Samoa Joe’s gym, you could say we rocked his confidence and now Joe is off sulking somewhere.”

 

Inwardly, Charlotte hated herself for using the Flair arrogance as a shield.  She hated everything about her father and how he treated other people. She hated that her brothers had turned out the same way.  She hated it so much that she had promised to be different, better. And yet, here she was acting just like him with one minor interaction with Sasha.  

 

There was just something about the other girl that got under Charlotte’s skin.  It had always been that way, and it was something that Charlotte had to work on.  She was about to apologize when Sasha spoke up again. “You almost beat Samoa Joe?  I was going to challenge him.”

 

Charlotte looked at Sasha and Charmander.  There was no way they would be good to fight in their state.  “Please, like your little weakling Pokémon could beat Samoa Joe.  It looks half defeated already.”

 

Inwardly, Charlotte flinched.  She had no idea why she was saying these things.  It was obvious that Sasha was upset and her Charmander was hurt.  And still the second the other girl challenged her abilities, Charlotte went full bitch mode.  She was so used to it at this point to survive living with her dad, that it was more ingrained than she had thought.  

 

The look in Sasha’s eyes did not bode well for her Charmander.   _ Please don’t challenge me, _ Charlotte thought to herself, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to say no if she was.  

 

_Please just go inside_ _and take care of Charmander._

 

“Even tired my Charmander could wipe the floor with your Squirtle.  Isn’t that right Charmander? Besides, he wasn’t weak or pathetic when you wanted him!” Sasha bit out.

 

Charlotte’s heart plummeted even as her anger flared.  She didn’t want to do this to Charmander. He didn’t stand a chance, especially against a water-type Pokémon, but maybe a little humbling would shove Sasha back on her haunches a bit.  She definitely needed it if she was out here ready to battle with her Charmander even when he looked so tired.

 

Charlotte scoffed, fully committed at this point to putting Sasha in her place.  “Please, if he was my Pokémon, he’d be great, but I am glad I got my Squirtle. She’s as tough as they come.”   
  
All hope she had of scaring Sasha off of this fight went out the window when Charmander wiggled out of Sasha’s arms and into the space between them.  Charlotte sighed, “you are really going to make your Pokémon fight? You’re dumber than you look. Go Squirtle!”

 

With a flash of light, Squirtle was standing in front of Charlotte.  She looked at the injured Charmander and then back to Charlotte, the question obvious in her eyes.  Charlotte nodded and Squirtle turned back to the fire type Pokémon that was standing in front of her.  

 

Charlotte sighed, already hating what she had to do to hopefully teach Sasha a lesson about taking care of her Pokémon.  “Go ahead Sasha, show me what you got, I’ll let you even get one attack in.”

 

“One attack is all I need!  Charmander, use ember again!”

 

Charmander tried his best, that much was obvious.  But he was too tired and too injured to produce any sort of a flame.  Charlotte played the final card she had and forced herself to dissolve into a fit of laughter.  If growing up in Pallet Town with Sasha taught Charlotte anything, it was that the other girl was hard-headed and as stubborn as the blonde.  Which meant that in order for her to learn what she had to, Charlotte needed to be cruel.  

 

“Aw, poor little guy,” Charlotte mocked.  “Squirtle, let’s show him some girl power.  Use Bubble!”   
  
Squirtle obeyed, even though the hesitation was obvious.  She didn’t stop until Charmander fainted and Charlotte whispered, “enough, Squirtle.”   
  


_ And now for the final nail in the coffin, _ Charlotte thought.  She forced the derision to bleed heavily into her tone, letting it drip thickly off her tongue.  “You’re a lousy trainer Sasha. What kind of person let’s their already injured Pokémon compete, let alone with a type disadvantage.  Come on Squirtle, let’s go find some real competition.”

 

Charlotte ignored the look of disapproval on Squirtle’s face as she recalled her into her Pokéball.  She turned her back on Sasha’s crying over Charmander and started walking out of town.  

 

_ It had to be done, _ Charlotte tried to reassure herself as she walked.   _ It was a harsh lesson for her to learn, but if her Charmander is going to survive, Sasha needs to learn how to take care of him better.   _

 

Charlotte’s mood had gone from halfway decent to absolutely horrible.  She hadn’t wanted to be mean to anyone when she set out on this journey, and she was quite embarrassed with how quickly the Flair arrogance had jumped out of her.  She had sounded just like her father, and that made her sick to her stomach.  

 

She let her dark mood carry her to the intersection in the middle of Route 2 where she could choose between going into the forest or continuing on the road.  The road offered a chance of running into another trainer, but the forest all but guaranteed multiple run-ins with wild Pokémon.  

  
  


She scoffed.  After her loss yesterday there wasn’t a question about which way she was going to go.  Granted it might not be the smartest move she’s ever pulled entering the forest with only one Pokémon, but it was a risk she was willing to take.  So she squared her shoulders, held her head high and strode purposefully towards the entrance to the forest.  

 

It was darker than she thought it was going to be, especially once she was fully under the coverage of the trees.  She fought the shiver that ran down her spine at how ominous the forest felt even though it was early in the morning.  She needed to do this, needed to get her Squirtle stronger so that way they wouldn’t lose again.

 

“You’re a Flair,” she sternly reminded herself.  “We don’t quit, we don’t run and we sure as hell don’t lose.”

 

_ Too late, _ her father’s voice bit back.   _ Such a disappointment.  No wonder your mother left _ .  

 

Charlotte bit at her lower lip to keep the tears from falling.  Of course, she was the reason her mother left. She wasn’t good enough to win even one measly gym badge.  Both of her brothers had easily won the Viridian City badge on the first try. Their battles had been a joke from what she had heard.  But then again they had Charmander… the Flair family starter Pokémon for as long as Charlotte could remember.

 

“Can’t get the right Pokémon, can’t win a badge, can’t do anything right can you Lottie?” Charlotte chastised herself as she moved among the trees.  

She froze and listened as a rustling was heard off to her right.  “Yes,” she whispered to herself. “Here we go…”   
  
Charlotte’s hand easily removed Squirtle’s Pokéball from her belt and she released the small Pokémon next to her.  Squirtle yawned and stretched, her eyes up and looking around the area. She finally looked over at Charlotte, her eyes narrowing and the displeasure obvious on her face.     
  


“ _ Squirttttllleee _ ….” The word was skeptical and dripping with indignation.  It was obvious Squirtle was not happy having been woken up from a nap, especially since she had been forced to fight an already injured Charmander that day… something that Squirtle hated doing.

 

“Shhhh,” Charlotte hissed as she waved at Squirtle, her eyes still focused on where the noise had come from.  Squirtle’s eyes narrowed further as she turned and marched her little self right towards the noise.    
  


“Squirtle!” Charlotte hissed as she chased after her Pokémon.  “Hang on.”   
  
“ _ Squirtle _ !” Came the protest as she kept moving further into the forest. 

 

_ “WEEDLE _ !”

 

“ _ SQUIRTLE! _ ” 

 

“SHIT!” Charlotte yelped as the Weedle jumped out of a bush at her and her Squirtle, causing the small turtle Pokémon to stumble back a few steps.  Squirtle shot a look back to Charlotte and scrambled back towards her trainer so she was standing behind Charlotte’s leg.  

 

Squirtle glared at the bug Pokémon from the safety of behind Charlotte’s knee.  “ _ Squirtle _ ,” she protested at being scared.

 

Charlotte simply looked down at her Pokémon with a raised eyebrow.  “Are you going to do something about it? Or are you just going to hide behind me?”   
  
Squirtle looked up at Charlotte, a look of hurt crossing its face.  “ _ Squirtle _ ,” she almost whimpered.   
  
Charlotte sighed.  “I know, it scared me too.  But go on. You can kick this thing’s butt.”

 

Squirtle’s features hardened as she looked back at the Weedle who was just sitting there staring at them.  “ _ Squirtle _ ,” she grumbled to herself as she nodded and then waddled out to face the bug.

 

“Start with tackle and then dodge its counter attack.”   
  
“ _ Squirt, Squirtle… _ .” she waved almost dismissively at Charlotte before it ran at the Weedle and struck it with its tackle.  

 

Weedle ducked its head and charged at Squirtle.  Charlotte’s heart dropped when she realized the attack that was coming.  “Squirtle, into your shell!”

 

Squirtle didn’t hesitate as she collapsed into her shell and let Weedle’s poison sting bounce helplessly off of Squirtle’s shell.  Charlotte fist-pumped as Squirtle popped its head out and used bubble. 

 

Weedle stumbled back a few feet after being struck by the water attack and then tried to avoid the tackle that was coming its way next but couldn’t move fast enough as Squirtle crashed into it full force.  Weedle fell over backward and rolled side to side a few times before it went still.  

 

Squirtle waited a few seconds to make sure Weedle stayed down before she turned and smiled at Charlotte.  The blonde was beaming with pride. “Good work Squirtle!”

 

Squirtle hurried back to Charlotte’s side and bumped its head against Charlotte’s thigh.  Charlotte laughed and reached down to pet her Squirtle’s head. “Yeah, yeah. You’re a badass.  You ready to keep going?”

 

“ _ Squirtle! _ ” the tiny turtle cheered as she started waddling away from Charlotte, obviously excited and ready to go.

 

Charlotte watched her for a second, pride swelling in her chest before she realized her Pokémon was dictating where they went and when.  

 

_ They’re not your friends, Lottie.  They’re tools for you to train and use to get to the top...nothing else. _

 

Charlotte’s mood immediately soured as she took off after her Pokémon.  “Wait a minute! Get back here! You need to go back into your ball!”   
  
“ _ Squirtle! _ ”

 

Now Charlotte had only known her Pokémon for a few days, but she clearly understood that tone of voice.  And it was a resounding no. A no with so much attitude, it gave Charlotte pause.  

 

She shook her head and started marching after her Squirtle, the turtle’s Pokéball gripped tightly in her hand.  “Listen here! You need to get back in your ball!”

 

_ “Squirt, Squirtle!” _

 

“Oh no, you don’t!”  Charlotte hurried after her Pokémon as it ran into the forest with one paw held high above her little head.  

 

Charlotte almost tripped over her Squirtle as she came to a skidding halt.  “What…?”

 

Squirtle was glaring at a Kakuna that was standing in front of them, a look of challenge on her face.  She turned to look at Charlotte, the question clear in her eyes.

 

Charlotte smirked.  “You want to go again?  I’m not going to stop you.”

 

If one word could sound like the most self-assured thing that Charlotte had ever heard, it would be the lightly chuckled “ _ Squirtle… _ ” that her Pokémon uttered before running into battle.

  
  


__________________

  
  


Charlotte walked through Viridian Forest with a satisfied smile on her face.  She and Squirtle had been fighting several wild Pokémon along the way and her Squirtle was looking strong.  They were still having their issues, but she and Squirtle seemed to be making a decent team so far. 

 

Squirtle still refused to get into her Pokéball, but she didn’t seem to mind walking on her own.  She actually seemed to be enjoying herself as she darted back and forth across the path, sticking her head into some bushes to investigate before she took off for another.  Charlotte smiled as she watched her Pokémon move. At this moment, she couldn’t care less about what her father tried to teach her. Her Pokémon was adorable, and she was happy to have her… even though she was a pain in the ass half the time.  

 

Charlotte paused when she felt like a pair of eyes were staring into the back of her head.  She stilled long enough to see if she could hear anything, her eyes moving back and forth searching for any movement that wasn’t her Squirtle.

 

Speaking of…..

 

_ “Squirtle? _ ” 

 

The tiny turtle had come back to stand in front of her, the question obvious on her face.  Charlotte assumed she was asking if Charlotte was okay. Or maybe she was asking what the hold up was.  Either way, there she was tugging gently on Charlotte’s pant leg. Charlotte looked down at her Pokémon, “do you hear anything?”   
  
Squirtle looked around, her eyes narrowing as she seemed to study everything around them.  Eventually, she shook her head and looked back up at Charlotte. The blonde sighed and shrugged.  “Must be my imagination.”

 

She looked down at Squirtle.  “You ready to get back in your ball yet?”   
  


Squirtle shook her head and took off again into the brush on the right side of the road a few feet away from Charlotte, who chuckled at her turtle’s antics.  She really had wanted the Charmander, but now that she had her Squirtle, she was kind of happy she got a Pokémon with so much personality. Besides, the longer that she spent with Squirtle the more she was realizing she only wanted the Charmander to please her father.  And her father wasn’t here right now, so screw him.

 

Charlotte was pulled out of her musings by the sound of her Squirtle chattering away with another Pokémon.  Confused by this development, Charlotte went to investigate and saw her Squirtle talking with a Nidoran. She stood there and just observed the interaction for a few seconds, curious as to what was happening.  

 

Squirtle turned to her excitedly, still chattering away and pointing at the Nidoran.  Charlotte furrowed her brows. “What?” she asked curiously.

 

“ _ Squirt, Squirtle, Squirtle, squirt.” _

 

Squirtle kept gesturing emphatically at the Nidoran who was sitting on a nearby rock, looking rather bored.  

 

Charlotte nodded, “okay, you want to battle?”

 

Squirtle hesitated briefly and then nodded.  

 

Charlotte shrugged.  “If you want to, go ahead.  You know we need more training anyway.”

 

Squirtle turned and instead of fighting the Nidoran, started talking to it again.  The Nidoran seemed to be a little interested, especially when Squirtle pointed back at her.  It wasn’t the first time that Charlotte wished she could better understand her Pokémon. Suddenly the Nidoran’s mood shifted and it jumped off the rock, standing rather aggressively in front of Squirtle.  

 

At this, Squirtle paused and tried to explain something to the Nidoran, who now appeared beyond discussion.  Squirtle nodded, determination pouring off of her in waves as she squared her shoulders to face off against Nidoran.  

 

Nidoran charged, and Charlotte jumped slightly at the sudden movement.  “Squirtle, dodge and counter!”

 

“ _ Squirtle!” _

 

Squirtle tried to dodge the tackle but wasn’t prepared for the follow-up scratch that Nidoran sent her way with her back claws.  Squirtle got tripped up and crashed to the ground, a large cut opening up on her back left leg. Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Squirtle push herself to her feet again.  

 

Squirtle was barely able to tuck into her shell when Nidoran whipped around with a poison sting attack, which bounced harmlessly off of her shell.  

 

“Nice Squirtle!”  Charlotte cheered.  “Hit her with Bubble!”

 

Squirtle’s head poked out of her shell and turned in the direction of Nidoran, letting loose a string of bubbles that slammed full force Nidoran’s face.   Then Squirtle was up and running at Nidoran, tucking into her shell at the last second as she hurled herself at the other Pokémon.  

 

“Nice tackle!”

 

Nidoran shook her head back and forth to clear the attack and set up for her next move, which turned out to be another attempt at a tackle.  Squirtle was able to dodge and counter with another bubble attack. Nidoran ran through the bubble attack, absorbing the damage to hit Squirtle with a tackle.  

 

Squirtle stumbled back and took a second to catch her breath.  Charlotte watched her Pokémon carefully to make sure that Squirtle was still good to go.  Once she was convinced, Charlotte nodded. “Let’s finish this. Bubble, then tackle when you see an opening.”

 

“ _ Squirtle, _ ” she nodded before she went back on the attack.  There was a flurry of movement from both Pokémon before Nidoran finally went down and was struggling to get back up.  Charlotte was beaming when she saw how strong her Squirtle still looked. “Let’s finish this, Squirtle!”

 

Squirtle stood there, staring at Nidoran for a few seconds before she shook her head.  Charlotte’s eyebrows rose slowly. “What? Why not?”

 

Squirtle turned around and slowly limped towards Charlotte, who knelt to look into her Pokémon’s eye.  “What’s wrong?”

 

Squirtle reached up to Charlotte’s belt and tapped at a Pokéball.  Charlotte looked down at Squirtle and shook her head. “No. I don’t want a Nidoran.”

 

Squirtle narrowed her eyes at Charlotte before tapping angrily on a Pokéball.  Charlotte narrowed her eyes as well and shook her head. Squirtle huffed before she reared her head back and head-butted Charlotte right between the eyes.

 

Charlotte cursed as she fell over from the force of the hit, her hands flying up to cover the injured area.  She didn’t notice as Squirtle pulled the Pokéball off of her belt and threw it at Nidoran.  

 

The Pokéball didn’t activate and instead, it bounced off of Nidoran’s forehead.  Squirtle hobbled over to the Pokéball and picked it up. She started knocking the ball against the forehead of the injured Nidoran.  “ _ Squirtle _ ,” she growled as she looked at the ball and then went back to knocking it against Nidoran’s head.

 

“Okay, hey… okay,” Charlotte had walked up behind Squirtle and gently reached out to take the Pokéball from her.  “You want the Nidoran with us?”

 

Squirtle made a face and nodded her head.   _ “Squirt, squirtle, squirtle…. Squirt, squirtle.” _

 

Charlotte smiled as her Pokémon nearly started vibrating with energy.  “Okay then, it looks like we have a new member of the team. You’re sure about this?”   
  
Squirtle nodded emphatically as Charlotte reached out and activated the Pokéball, bringing Nidoran into the ball.  As the light dimmed, leaving Squirtle and Charlotte alone in the clearing, Squirtle sat down with a large exhale. Charlotte sat down next to her and pulled her pack off, watching the way Squirtle moved closely.  

 

She didn’t spend all that time trying to prove a point to Sasha that morning just to ignore her own lesson.  She pulled out a bag of berries and gave some to Squirtle while she looked for a potion. Her hand wrapped around the bottle she was looking for and she pulled it free.  Squirtle eyed her skeptically as Charlotte pointed the bottle at her, but let her keep doing what she was trying to do.

 

Charlotte took Squirtle’s left leg in her hand and gently sprayed the potion onto it and gently wrapped a bandage over the scratch left by Nidoran.  Once Squirtle’s wound had been taken care of, Charlotte held up her Pokéball. “You want to take a nap?”

 

Squirtle was munching away happily on the berries even as Charlotte finished taking care of her.  When Charlotte held up her Pokéball, Squirtle shook her head and popped another berry in her mouth. 

 

Charlotte’s brow furrowed.  “You sure? I don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

 

“ _ Squirtle!  Squirtle!” _ the Pokémon declared as she puffed her chest out to make herself look bigger and stronger.  

 

Charlotte nodded, “okay, your choice.  We’ll rest here for a few more minutes and then head on out.  Just let me know if you need a break.”

 

Squirtle nodded and kept eating even as she looked around the clearing.  Her head turning back to Charlotte when asked. “So a Nidoran, huh?”

 

“ _ Squirtle.  Squirt, Squirtle, squirt squirt,” _ she explained as she chewed on another berry.  

 

Charlotte watched her turtle and simply shrugged noncommittally.  “I guess we can work with that. A team only works if all the members are on the same page.”

 

“ _ Squirtle, _ ” the Pokémon hummed and nodded as if she agreed.  

 

The hair on the back of Charlotte’s neck stood up again when she felt like another pair of eyes were on her.  She had assumed it was the Nidoran, but now she wasn’t so sure. She tried not to react to the feeling so she didn’t upset Squirtle.  The last thing she needed was to get her tired and injured Pokémon into a fight. But on the off chance she had to fight again, she wanted to make sure Squirtle was as rested as possible.  

 

After a few more minutes and the berries had been eaten, Squirtle started to get restless.  So Charlotte stood up and repacked her bag. “You ready?”

 

Squirtle also got to her feet and nodded.  She waited for Charlotte to adjust her pack and then started waddling off further into the forest.  Charlotte followed after, shaking her head at how stubborn she and her Pokémon were. The more time she spent with the tiny turtle, the more she was realizing they were paired really well for each other. 

 

They spent the next hour or so just walking at a decent pace, and the whole time Charlotte felt like they were being watched.  But nothing jumped out at them or sounded like it was following them, so Charlotte assumed she was making things up. “Just the forest playing tricks with your mind.  Stay focused,” she scolded herself. 

 

Squirtle had fallen in step next to her a while ago, and now looked up at her when she spoke.  Charlotte shook her head, “it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

 

Squirtle seemed to nod at her and went back to walking on all fours.  Both of them stopped when they heard what sounded like a mechanical fan somewhere off the path.  Squirtle looked up at Charlotte, the question obvious on both of their faces. Charlotte shrugged and turned to head off the path and deeper into the forest.  

 

They made it a few feet before they saw what looked like a box attached to a tree.  It was fixed to the trunk at about Charlotte’s shoulder level and it looked to have a button on top with a spout on the bottom.  Charlotte studied it for a second before she reached out and pressed the button.  

 

There were a few seconds where nothing happened.  And then an engine sounded like it was winding up and suddenly pellets were flying all around them.  Charlotte squawked as a pellet struck her in the face.  

 

Squirtle ducked behind Charlotte’s legs as more pellets flew around them at high speeds.  Charlotte ducked to avoid being hit, grabbed Squirtle and yelled as she ran away from the tree.   She held Squirtle behind her head so the turtle’s shell could protect her from the high-velocity projectiles.

 

“ _ Squirtle!  Squirt Squirtle!” _ her Pokémon yelled as she pulled herself into her shell so she didn’t get hit herself.  

 

They made it a few feet before everything fell quiet.  Charlotte assumed that the “feeder” was either out of food or had shut itself off.  She stopped and turned to see what had happened to the feeder, only to see something she never would have expected. 

 

Pellets were still flying from the device. Still coming from the feeder at a high rate of speed and in an unfathomable volume. 

 

They were just hitting an invisible wall that had been formed by a Mr. Mime.  Charlotte stood there simply watching the psychic Pokémon as it continued to block the pellets.  “ _ Squirtle? _ ” her Pokémon asked as she poked her head out of her shell before hitting the back of Charlotte’s head with her tail.

 

Without commenting or moving too much, Charlotte lowered her Squirtle to the ground.  They watched until all of the pellets ran out of the feeder and the Mr. Mime turned around.  He was smiling creepily at them as it approached. Charlotte could feel Squirtle move closer to her legs to hide behind her.  

 

Charlotte took a step backward as the Mr. Mime came to a stop in front of her.  She smiled awkwardly at it. “.... thank you…?” she winced as she said it.

 

Mr. Mime went off into a flurry of movements that was supposed to mean something, but Charlotte didn’t catch any of it.  She hoped the smile that had started to slip off her face still looked like a smile and not a grimace. “Right…. I’m just going to…” she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. 

 

Mr. Mime nodded and motioned for her to go first.  Charlotte watched him a second longer and then nodded.  “Okay then,” she said to herself as she and Squirtle slowly turned away and started walking back to the path so they could continue to Pewter City.

  
  


________________

  
  


 A few hours later Charlotte walked into Pewter City as the sun was setting.  Not long after they had encountered the Mr. Mime, Squirtle had tugged on her pant leg and pointed at her Pokéball.  Charlotte had nodded and recalled Squirtle into her ball, allowing her to pick up her pace a little bit the rest of the way to Pewter City.  She had made sure to stay on the path and didn’t take too much time since she didn’t have a fully healed Pokémon to fight with.

 

She sighed as she entered the Pokémon Center and smiled at Nurse Holly.  

 

“Hi!  Welcome to the Pewter City Pokémon Center.  I’m Nurse Holly, how can I help you?”

 

Charlotte placed her two Pokéballs on the counter.  “Hi. I was wondering if you could heal my Pokémon please?”

 

Nurse Holly took her Pokémon and placed them in a clear box on top of a machine.  “Of course! Anything else I can do for you?”

 

“Do you have any rooms available?”

 

Nurse Holly’s smile falls for the first time.  “We don’t, I’m sorry. But there is a campground just outside of town that is free of wild Pokémon, and you are of course welcome to use our cantina, laundry and shower services.”

 

Charlotte tried not to be too disappointed at the news of not getting a bed but smiles at Nurse Holly anyway.  “Thank you very much.”

 

She moved past the front counter and moved towards where they had the cantina set up, waving at the nurse as she went.  She grabbed a quick bite to eat and then took a quick shower. She then walked back outside and moved towards where the campground set up, grumbling about having to sleep outside now that she was out of Nurse Holly’s earshot.  

 

She set up her tent quickly and climbed inside with her sleeping bag.  She huffed out a frustrated breath and then rolled onto her side to try and get comfortable.  “This is not how a Flair lives,” she groaned as she shifts again, finally finding a suitable position.

  
  


____________________

  
  


Charlotte yawned as she opened the tent and looked outside into the morning sun.  “Holy shit!” she yelled and fell backward into her tent. Mr. Mime’s head poked into the tent, the creepy smile still in place.  

 

Charlotte exhaled a shaky breath and narrowed her eyes at the Pokémon.  “What are you doing?”

 

Again, Mr. Mime started to pantomime whatever it was he wanted.  Charlotte watched for a few seconds and then rolled her eyes. “I don’t have time for this.”

 

Mr. Mime’s face shifted into one of frustration even though his actual features never moved.  He wound up and slapped her across the face.

 

Charlotte toppled over to the side, her hand coming up to her cheek.  “What the hell!?”

 

Mr. Mime waited until Charlotte was looking at him before he mimed  **_Watch me_ ** .

 

Charlotte nodded as Mr. Mime kept moving his hands in a way that she wasn’t putting together.  She waited patiently until it seemed like he was done before she spoke. She did not want to get smacked again.  “Look, I get it. You have something you want to tell me, but I don’t understand. And I have a badge to win, so if you don’t mind…” she slid past him and reached back into her tent and started rolling up her sleeping bag.  

 

Mr. Mime kept miming even as she worked, the frustration growing if his miming was anything to go by.  His movements were getting faster, bigger and more pronounced. 

 

Charlotte finished attaching the now rolled tent to the bottom of her pack before she turned back to Mr. Mime.  “I’m sorry I don’t understand you, but I have to go.”

 

She turned to leave so she could go pick up her Pokémon before heading to the gym.  She made it a few feet before she turned to look over her shoulder and noticed that Mr. Mime was following behind her.  She rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything as she made her way to retrieve her Pokémon.  

 

Once she had her Squirtle and Nidoran in hand, Charlotte made her way to the Gym.  She paused outside the door briefly, took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She exhaled as she pushed the door open.  

 

The inside of the gym was set up in a rocky mountainscape design.  In the middle of the room was the arena floor, with stands on either side.  She walked into the middle of the room, her eyes looking for any sign of the gym leader.   

 

Finally, a tall bald man walked out of the back, dressed in a black tank top that was tucked into a pair of gray pants.  He finally noticed her sitting there, and a sneer settled on his face. “What do you want?”

 

Charlotte narrows her eyes at him.  “I’m here to battle. Where’s the gym leader?”

 

The man laughed.  “Braun is out for the day, but I’m Baron Corbin, and I’ve been given his authority to battle any trainer who thinks themselves worthy to even enter the same arena as me.”

 

Charlotte made a face at him.  “So you’re the gym leader? If I beat you, I get the badge?”

 

Baron Corbin nodded.  “That’s exactly what that means, though we don’t have to worry about it since you won’t be winning.”

 

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she walked to one side of the arena.  “Let’s just get this over with, shall we?”

 

Baron laughed dismissively as he walked to his side.  “One on one?”

 

Charlotte nodded.  “Works for me. Squirtle!  I choose you!”

 

Corbin’s laugh continued to laugh as he released his Diglett into the arena.  

 

Charlotte hesitated but looked at her Squirtle, who had squared her shoulders and was glaring at the mole Pokémon in front of her.  “All right Squirtle, time to get our first badge! Use bubble!”

 

“Diglett, use dig!”

 

Charlotte cursed to herself as the Diglett disappeared underground.  Her eyes scanned the arena carefully, looking for any sign of the ground Pokémon.  “Don’t panic Squirtle. Wait to see if he appears and then try to dodge!”

 

Squirtle nods as she looks around the area too.  Suddenly the ground right underneath the water Pokémon opened up and the Diglett appeared, thrusting its forehead into Squirtle.  Squirtle fell over backward, taking the full hit from the Diglett. Squirtle rolls over onto her stomach and up onto her feet.  

 

Charlotte smiles.  “Good work Squirtle!  We got this! Go for tackle!”

 

Squirtle was already charging at the Diglett before Charlotte even stopped speaking.  Squirtle tucked herself into her shell as she slammed into Diglett, making it go crosseyed for a second.

 

“Diglett!  Fury swipes!”

 

“Squirtle!  Stay in your shell!” Charlotte watched as Diglett’s attack bounced uselessly off of Squirtle’s shell.  “Counter with bubble!”

 

Squirtle’s head popped out of her shell long enough to blow a bubble attack.  Diglett was temporarily blinded by the water even if it didn’t do a lot of damage.  “Squirtle, attack with tackle!”  

 

Squirtle launched herself at the mole Pokémon and headbutted it.  

 

“Diglett, sand attack!”

 

Squirtle reacted immediately by closing her eyes and ducking her head.  

 

Charlotte cheered.  “Nicely done Squirtle!”

 

“Diglett, use scratch!”

 

Squirtle didn’t have time to protect herself and ended up getting scratched across her face.  Squirtle whined as she swiped at the wound on her face.  

 

Charlotte’s heart dropped.  “Squirtle!”

 

Squirtle shook her head a little and then refocused on the Diglett.  “ _ Squirtle _ ,” she growled as she charged the Diglett.

 

“Diglett, use dig!”

 

The mole Pokémon was too slow as Squirtle launched herself at its face once, twice, three times before the Diglett fell over and didn’t get back up.

 

Squirtle stood in the middle of the arena, panting even as blood dripped down her face.  Charlotte quickly tossed out her Pokéball. “Good work Squirtle! Return!”

 

Squirtle didn’t fight it as she went into the ball.  Charlotte attached it to her belt and smirked at Baron Corbin with a raised eyebrow.  “I think you owe me a badge.”

 

Corbin stood there in shock, even as he walked towards Charlotte.  His hand reached into his pocket and he pulled out the Boulder Badge.  He handed it over to Charlotte, “congratulations kid. Make sure to come back when Braun is around sometime.  I’m sure he’d love to take you on in battle.”

 

Charlotte beamed at him as she took her badge and clipped it to her pack.  “Thank you! And sorry about your Diglett.”  

 

She turned and made her way out of the gym in a hurry.  She was too excited to do anything other than to cheer when she walked outside.  There was a split second where she fell back on old habits and let loose with the classic Flair “woo!” but decided against it.  Instead, she jumped up and down a few times, her hands clasped on her pack straps tightly. 

 

After a few seconds, she exhaled slowly and then headed back to the Pokémon Center to heal her Squirtle.  She needed to gather a few more supplies from the Pokémart before she could move on to the next town. But she would be ready to go in a few hours tops.  

 

She won her first badge as a trainer, and could now focus on getting the others.  She felt strong, invincible, confident. She had beaten a ground-based Pokémon with her water type.  If she kept this up, she may just prover her father wrong yet.  


	3. Once a Flair, always a Flair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte deals with the aftermath of Cerulean City and the Team Rocket attack that happened there. Squirtle might have a thing or two to say about just how long this little layover is taking. But what is a Flair if not arrogant, cocky and stubborn?

Charlotte sat in a chair of the Pokémon Center, staring at the wall in front of her without really seeing anything.  Her Squirtle was currently being tended to by Nurse Holly, which meant Charlotte had nothing to do other than sit there and wait. Sit there and think about everything that had happened in the last hour or so.  It had started simply enough with her challenging the Cerulean Gym leaders to a battle. And somewhere in the middle of her winning her second badge, things had gone very, very wrong. 

 

Most of the following events went by in a blur, with Charlotte chasing the Bellas to the basement of the gym where she ended up in a battle with some very large man and his Pinsir.  That’s when things got confusing for Charlotte. She and Squirtle had been doing well against them and Charlotte was feeling confident that they were going to win. And then Squirtle had gotten stuck in Pinsir’s grip and had been writhing in pain.  

 

That was when the confusion had set in.  She had  _ frozen _ , even though she had Nidoran still in her Pokéball.  She had stood there like a scared child while her Pokémon had been in danger.  She was a Flair. She should have immediately reached for her Nidoran and used it to at least distract the Pinsir so she could get Squirtle out of there.  But the feeling of helplessness and the need to  _ protect _ Squirtle had been overwhelming.  So she did nothing while the others had stepped up and helped. 

 

It’s not like she  _ wanted _ to do nothing.  She had wanted to help her Pokémon, had wanted to run in there and take on the Pinsir with her bare hands.  But the emotions raging inside of her were just too confusing. The need to help went to war with the voice in the back of her head that always sounded so much like her father.  Her heart told her to save her Pokémon but her head reminded her that her Pokémon was not her friend, that she shouldn’t be feeling anything other than disappointment in it for being weak.  Her Squirtle was the Pokémon of a Flair. It was supposed to be strong, and capable. She should have been able to take on anything.   

 

_ You only got her a few days ago.   _ She tried to remind herself now that she had time to think back of everything that had happened.   _ You’re doing your best to train her.  And she’s doing what she can to win. _

 

_ Not good enough, _ her father’s voice bit back.   _ You should have had the Charmander.  You should have followed in your family’s footsteps.  But you didn’t. Look at you now, you froze. You’re pathetic.  You needed the others to save you and your Pokémon…. What kind of Flair are you?  Definitely not one your father raised you to be, that’s for sure. _

 

Charlotte shook her head to stop the back and forth that was happening there.  She had more important things to dwell on than what her father was possibly thinking about her at that moment.  Mainly why she had frozen and what all of that meant in her ability to become the best trainer her family had ever seen.  

 

As soon as her Squirtle was in danger, she should have reacted out of instinct.  She should have moved immediately to help her Pokémon like the others did when they realized that  _ her _ Squirtle was in danger.  They had all acted so quickly, hadn’t even really hesitated to jump into battle, that it had startled Charlotte even further.   _ She  _ was supposed to be the strong one.   _ She _ was supposed to be the most talented one.   _ She _ was the one who had been training since she could walk for moments just like that.   _ She  _ was the Flair and she was supposed to be the best.  Her father had always demanded it, and she had  _ always _ flourished under pressure.   

 

Yet when it came time for her to shine, she had stopped dead in her tracks, frozen in fear of losing both her Pokémon and the fight.  And that was something that a Flair would not and could not stand for.  It was a failure, plain and simple.  

 

_ She had failed. _

 

She always thought that failing was going to be what hurt the most on this journey.  Failing to win badges, failing to protect her Pokémon, failing at being the best and earning her father’s love and attention.  But then Bayley had so selflessly jumped in front of her Bulbasaur when it was flying through the air. It was a move that had seemed like instinct for the other girl, reflexive in a way that could only be born from love.  Watching them interact shortly after that moment, watching them communicate on an almost telepathic level… the pain _that_ caused had caught Charlotte off guard. So much so that she had stood there openly staring at Bayley until the other girl yelled at her to get in the fight.  

 

That connection though… that was something that Charlotte had never really witnessed.  Everyone in her family regarded their Pokémon as tools, as a means to an end in becoming the best trainer.  There was never any real love lost between her family and their Pokémon, and that was the way that Charlotte had intended to be while she fought her way to the top.  It was the way she had been taught to be the best. There was no room for friends at the top, and the sooner Charlotte came to understand that, the better off she would be.  And then Bayley had to come along and show that there  _ could _ be a bond between Pokémon and trainer that went deeper than what Charlotte had been led to believe. 

 

Watching those two interact… it had shown her that love between trainer and Pokémon was possible. 

 

Of everything that had happened so far,  _ that _ moment between the other girl and her Bulbasaur had  _ hurt _ .

 

Charlotte wasn’t exactly sure why that had hurt so much, but it had.  She was the only one with a badge as far as she knew, she was already beating everyone else.  But watching their seamless interaction with each other had sliced through Charlotte’s chest in a way that she couldn’t describe.  It had taken her breath away at that moment, and it was doing it again now.    

 

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but it only turned into a sigh as she slumped further into the chair and let her mind slip deeper into the darkness that was settling there.  The breath that was supposed to bolster her, flew out of her in a tired woosh that left her feeling hollow.  

 

But that feeling right there… of being empty and hollow, of being numb was one she knew.  It was one she was comfortable with. She had been dealing with it for most of her life, so at least she was back on somewhat solid and familiar ground as she tried to get comfortable in the uncomfortable plastic chair.  

 

She wanted to just go to a room and get some sleep.  But because of the attack on the gym, it was no surprise that the Pokémon Center was full for the time being.  It was the only place that offered free housing for trainers, and with the gym currently closed for the foreseeable future, all of the trainers who were there to get a badge needed a place to stay.  Charlotte cursed her luck that she had been the last one to give her statement to Officer Victoria, meaning she was one of the last to get here and try to get a room. And by the time she had shown up, all of the rooms were gone.     

 

Pretty quickly after Team Rocket had left the gym, Officer Victoria had been there taking statements from everyone who had been there.  Charlotte had sat on the outer steps of the gym as first Bayley, TJ and Tenille made their way to the hospital after being told by Officer Victoria to expect her there later for their statements.  Then Becky and Finn had made off after telling their version of events. But what puzzled her the most was when Sasha of all people had left with Seth after providing their statements as well.

 

There was no way any sane person would travel with that little arrogant brat.  She was intolerable on the best of days, so her traveling with someone had surprised the hell out of Charlotte.  So if Sasha of all people now had someone to travel with, then maybe Charlotte was going about this all wrong.  _ No, _ she reminded herself.   _ You’re a Flair.  You don’t need friends or traveling companions.  You don’t need anyone _ ,  _ you just need to win _ .

 

And that was what she had told Officer Victoria when it was her turn to say what happened.  She had walked the Police Officer through everything that happened in the gym, that she had been trying to win the badge when the building started shaking.  She told Victoria what happened in the basement and exactly how that large hole had appeared in the wall. Officer Victoria then went on to tell her how brave they all had been standing up to the known criminals that were Team Rocket.  She then ended the interview by pointing at Charlotte’s hands and telling her to get her Squirtle all healed up.

 

Charlotte had nodded numbly and looked down at her hands, confused as to what Officer Victoria had been talking about.  Charlotte hadn’t known it at the time, but she had given her whole statement while gently cradling Squirtle’s Poké Ball gently and protectively in her hands.  

 

So now here she sat, waiting for Nurse Holly to give her the okay to take her Squirtle back.  She still had to go get something to eat and then set up camp… again. But with the rooms all full at the Pokémon Center, Charlotte would need a place to sleep.  Especially since she wasn’t planning on leaving until she got that rematch that the Bellas had promised her. If she was going to be camping for a few days, then she wanted to at least make sure she had a good spot.

 

She sighed and got up to approach the counter.  “Excuse me?”

 

Nurse Holly smiled at her as she stopped what she was doing to talk to Charlotte.  “Yes, dear? What can I do for you?”

  
  
Charlotte cleared her throat before she spoke up.  “I’m sorry to bother you, but how much longer before my Squirtle is healed?”

  
  
Nurse Holly’s smile turned sympathetic.  “Don’t worry, your Squirtle will be just fine.  She only needs another hour or two and then she’ll be good as new.”

 

Charlotte shook her head as politely as possible.  “No, that’s fine. I wasn’t asking because I was worried.  I was asking to see if I had time to go set up my campsite since you don’t have any rooms left.”

 

“Oh!” Nurse Holly’s face showed her obvious surprise at Charlotte’s almost callous response.  “Yes, that would be more than fine. If your Squirtle is done healing before you come back, I’ll make sure to keep an eye on her.  The campsites are on the western edge of town.”

  
  
“I know, thank you.”  Charlotte nodded before she grabbed her bag and walked out the front door.  

 

She groaned when the Mr. Mime that had been following her around was standing there waiting for her.  She didn’t even stop to address him, she just kept walking and talking. “Look, I really don’t have time for this.  Please just go away.”

 

Mr. Mime’s creepy smile stayed in place as his head tilted and then he began miming to Charlotte as he fell in step next to her.

 

“What did I just say?” Charlotte asked when he was done miming whatever he was trying to say to her.  She knew better than to interrupt him. She had definitely learned that lesson last time.  

 

Mr. Mime stomped his foot and grabbed a hold of Charlotte’s arm, forcing her to stop and look at him.  “What!?” she snapped.

 

His eyes narrowed at her and then he was miming furiously right in her face.  Charlotte’s eyebrows rose as she caught about a third of what he was trying to say.

 

“Did you just ask me why I was mad?”

  
  
Mr. Mime nodded and then mimed a few more things.  

 

Charlotte chose to ignore the new mimes and turned to walk away.  “I’m mad because I lost another gym badge and I’m stuck with a Squirtle instead of a Charmander, and now I have a freaking Mr. Mime that’s following me everywhere.”  

  
  
She stopped to look at him again.  “I thought I told you to go away! I don’t want you around, so just leave me alone!”

 

Mr. Mime’s face didn’t change, but it did seem like he was a little shocked by that outburst.  He shook his head furiously and then mimed that he was staying there.

 

Charlotte rolled her eyes and kept walking towards the campground.  “Yes, stay right there. Don’t move.”

 

She shook her head and exhaled forcefully as the Mr. Mime just started following her again.  He seemed to calm down slightly when she stopped at a campsite and started setting up her tent.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him start miming again but this time it looked like he was content to talk to himself.  So Charlotte just let him be and finished setting up her tent.  

 

When everything was ready, she put her pack back on and then looked around at the campground to see if her tent would be left alone if she went back to pick up her Squirtle and some food for the night.  Just as she was thinking through the issue, Mr. Mime unzipped the tent and climbed in. He settled himself down in the middle of it and nodded at Charlotte.

 

“What are you doing?”

  
  
Mr. Mime tilted his head slightly and just watched her, his creepy grin still in place.  Then his hands moved around to indicate the inside of the tent and then pointed at Charlotte.

 

She nodded, “yes.  That’s mine, so what are you doing in it?”

 

Mr.  Mime then crossed his arms over his chest and then held his right hand out and shook his head.  Charlotte stared at him for a few seconds, “I’m not allowed in it? But it’s mine.”

  
  
Mr. Mime shook his head and pointed at Charlotte before he nodded.  Then he pointed around the rest of the camp and shook his head. Charlotte stood there staring at him for a few more seconds before it seemed to click.  “You’re going to watch the tent while I go get Squirtle?”

  
  
Mr. Mime nodded excitedly and crossed his arms again.  

 

Charlotte thought about it and then shrugged her shoulders.  “Well okay then. But don’t take anything, and everything had better be here when I get back.”

 

Without changing the look on his face, Mr. Mime was still somehow able to convey his exasperation with Charlotte.  He then made a motion to shoo her away from the tent, which Charlotte finally followed along with.

 

 She made her way back to the Pokémon Center and walked inside, hoping to be able to pick her Squirtle up so she could go get some shopping done before checking in at the gym to see if they knew when they would be open for her rematch.  Nurse Holly grinned at her and waved as she entered.  

 

“Hi!  Did you get your campsite set up ok?”

  
  
Charlotte smiled politely as she nodded.  “Yes ma’am, thank you. How is my Squirtle?”

  
  
“Good as new, and ready to go.”  Nurse Holly turned and grabbed Charlotte’s Pokéball.  “Here you are,” she said as she placed it in Charlotte’s hand.

  
  
“Thank you,” Charlotte nodded as she clipped Squirtle’s Pokéball back to her belt.  She turned and walked out of the Center without another word and walked over to the gym to see if anyone knew any information about when it would be open again.  

 

The area right outside the gym was still a hub of activity with Police Officers finishing up their interviews and reporters trying to get some last-minute quotes for their articles.  Charlotte sighed as she waited in the crowd that had gathered outside the gym to see what all the commotion was about. She wanted to get this battle over with so she could move on and try to get over her massive failure from earlier in the day.  

 

A hush fell over the crowd when the Bella twins stepped away from the Officer Jenny that had been taking their statement and climbed the steps to the front door of the gym.  Charlotte couldn’t contain the anxiousness that was running through her body as she waited impatiently for them to say something. Finally, Brie Bella cleared her throat. “Thank you to everyone who has offered to help in some way.  Unfortunately, due to the damage caused during Team Rocket’s attack, the gym will not be open for battles for a few days. Those trainers who are here to get a badge, we sincerely apologize for the wait, and we thank you for your patience while we try to get the gym back to operational status.”

 

Charlotte could feel her jaw dropping open in disbelief.  She needed to get that badge, and she needed it now. It was the only way she could redeem herself from what happened earlier.  In order to be a true Flair and get her father’s respect, she needed to be the best. And the only way to be the best was to get all the badges and take on the Elite Four.  

 

The longer she spent in this city, the longer she was reminded of Sasha, Becky and Bayley having to come to her rescue, and she could not let that stand.  Her face burned in embarrassment when she remembered Bayley’s voice snapping at her to help during the attack. If her father had seen her poor performance, he would have made sure that she would never live it down.  And if becoming exactly what he trained her to be meant that she was finally living up to his expectations, then she would.  

 

Charlotte spun on her heel and marched back to her tent, her mind focused solely on becoming everything that Bayley, Becky, and Sasha weren’t.  She didn’t need to be friends with her Pokémon, she didn’t need to be traveling with anyone. She only needed badges and wins and success. And anyone who got in her way had better just move, or she would be forced to take them out.

 

She poked her head in her tent and grabbed her pack of supplies and took off towards the south and Route 5.  If she was going to be stuck here for a few days, she may as well get some training in. 

 

She ended up wandering around in the woods for a while until she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the south.  Charlotte waited until a girl about her age walked into view, and a grin spread on Charlotte’s face when she saw the Pokéballs attached to her belt.  She waved at the younger girl. “Hey! You a trainer?”

  
  
The girl grinned back, “you bet I am!  I’m headed to the gym at Cerulean City Gym to get a badge.  Are you a trainer too?”

  
  
Charlotte forced her grin to stay friendly.  “Yep, I sure am. But unfortunately, the gym was attacked earlier today by Team Rocket and they had to close it to make repairs,” Charlotte turned her face into a frown, letting some of her genuine disappointment show.  

 

“Aw man, that sucks. My Pokémon are ready for the challenge.  Did they say when they were going to open it up again?”

  
  
Charlotte shook her head.  “They didn’t, but it’ll probably take a few days.”  She paused here to make it seem like the idea just came to her.  “Hey! I have an idea… want to give your Pokémon some experience and battle?”

  
  
The girl didn’t even hesitate before she nodded and grabbed her first Pokémon.  “I see you only have two Pokéballs. How does two on two sound?”

 

Charlotte’s grin turned almost predatory.  “That’s more than I’ll need. Go Nidoran!”   
  


The girl smiled and tossed her Pokéball into the fight.  “Pidgeotto, go!”

 

Charlotte was hardly impressed when the bird type Pokémon came out of its Pokéball.  Charlotte studied her Nidoran for a second and then gave it it’s first order as her Pokémon.  “Nidoran, use poison sting!”

  
  
Nidoran looked a little skittish as it looked at the Pidgeotto in front of her, but nodded and fired off one of her poison barbs at the Pidgeotto, who failed to evade the attack.  The bird type Pokémon seemed stunned for a second, but immediately countered Nidoran’s attack with Quick Attack.

  
  
“Nidoran, dodge and then strike with Horn Drill!”

  
  
Nidoran barely got out of the way of the Quick Attack before it was pivoting almost mid-movement to jab its horn right into Pidgeotto’s side.  Pidgeotto stumbled, but regained its footing and lashed out with Gust.

 

Nidoran dodged and took a few steps back and waited.  This startled Charlotte a little. She had gotten so used to battling with just Squirtle that she forgot that new Pokémon would wait for orders from their trainer.  Charlotte watched the Pidgeotto stumble slightly as the poison took its toll. “Fury Attack, Nidoran! Now, while it’s catching its breath!”

  
  
Nidoran didn’t hesitate as it ran headlong towards the Pidgeotto, and swiped out with its front foot, slashing the chest of the bird type Pokémon.  The Pidgeotto let out a rather loud squeak and then swayed slightly before it fell to the ground and stayed put.   

 

“Pidgeotto, return.”  The other girl called her injured Pokémon back into its Pokéball, and then tossed another one out.  “Fearow, I choose you!”

 

Nidoran now just looked rather bored when another bird type Pokémon entered the field.  She looked back at Charlotte, who couldn’t keep the smug look from her face. “You know what comes next.  Dodge its first attack and then counter.”

  
  
Nidoran nodded and turned back to face the Fearow, who took off into the air.  Fearow dropped down almost immediately and tried to attack Nidoran with a drill peck, which Nidoran managed to dodge for the most part.  She wasn’t quite fast enough though and managed to take a hit on her flank. Instead of standing her ground, Nidoran took the hit and let the momentum roll her a little bit away from the bird.  Nidoran was up a few seconds later and let loose with Poison Sting, which hit the Fearow square in its chest. 

 

Fearow turned and listened to its trainer as she called out for Fury Attack.  

 

Charlotte watched the Fearow pivot and yelled out.  “Run towards it and duck under it at the last second.”  Nidoran obeyed almost immediately.  

 

“Hit it with a Horn Attack, now!”

 

As Nidoran ran underneath the Fearow, it jerked its head up and struck the bird’s underbelly with its horn.  The Fearow fell to the ground and was working on getting up, and the other trainer looked concerned, her hand tightening on the Pokéball.

 

Charlotte hesitated as the thought to let her recall her injured Pokémon crossed her mind briefly.  The honorable thing to do would be to let her recall it. That would be what Bayley would do.    
  


But she _wasn’t_ Bayley, and she was now on a mission to prove that to the world.  Charlotte wasn’t stupid, she had been reading the newspapers. She knew how much good Bayley was doing out here in the different towns, but that didn’t make her a good trainer.  It didn’t make her the best.  

 

Charlotte was a Flair, which meant she  _ had _ to be the best.  And reaching that level meant leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind of who she was.  She gritted her teeth and growled out, “finish it, Nidoran. Double kick.”

  
  
“No!”  The other girl called out as Nidoran attacked her injured Fearow, knocking it unconscious immediately.  She ran forward and picked it up in her arms, her eyes narrowing at Charlotte. “What the hell was that?  I was about to give up!”

 

Charlotte didn’t even flinch as she flicked her wrist and called Nidoran back to her Pokéball.  She stared at the girl and raised her eyebrow very slowly. “Give up? Do you honestly think I would have let you give up?  That proves nothing. If anything, it shows how weak I am as a trainer. Which, speaking of… do yourself a favor sweetheart and skip going to the gym.”

 

  
She clipped her Nidoran to her belt and then looked idly at her fingernails.  “You are not even close to being ready to take on the twins. You would just humiliate yourself.”

  
  
The girl just stared at her, a look of pain flashing across her face.  “What is wrong with you?”

  
  
Charlotte chuckled.  “Nothing, I am simply showing you what kind of competition is out there.”

 

  
She winked at the girl, “best of luck with…” she waved her hand dismissively at the Fearow in her arms “whatever that was.”

 

She didn’t even look back as she walked away from the other trainer, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as her father’s voice echoed proudly in the back of her head.  She sighed to herself and tried to ignore the look that had been on that girl's face as she walked with her head held high. Her father would be proud and that was all that mattered.

  
  


_______________

  
  
  


Charlotte sighed as she paced back and forth in front of the Cerulean City Gym.  It had been three days already and there wasn’t any news about when they would be opening again.  She had been spending her mornings out in front of the gym and her afternoons on Route 5 crushing any trainer that came her way.  She had even been crushing any wild Pokémon they had managed to find as well.  

 

Charlotte reached the end of her usual pacing strip and pivoted.  She sidestepped around the Mr. Mime that had insisted on pacing right behind her, his one arm crossed over his chest and the other hand was up tapping at his chin.  His face was furrowed in concentration as he pivoted right behind Charlotte and started pacing again.  

 

Squirtle grunted in frustration as she handed Nidoran some berries that she had been munching on.  The two of them were sitting on the steps of the gym watching as their trainer walked past them for the thousandth time in the last few hours.  

 

“ _ Squirtle, Squirt.  Squirtle _ …” the turtle Pokémon grumbled and then sighed as Charlotte pivoted and started another pass.

 

“ _ Nidoran _ .”  

 

Squirtle nodded at Nidoran’s agreement to her complaint.  Squirtle went back to watching her trainer move back and forth aimlessly.  She put another berry in her mouth and started to kick her feet out of boredom.  They had been here way too long in Squirtle’s opinion. She wanted to go out and train more, not keep sitting here pointlessly.  

 

Charlotte stopped suddenly in front of the door, her face sporting a very serious look.  Squirtle cocked her head to the side and watched as Mr. Mime almost crashed into the back of Charlotte’s legs.  The blonde barely noticed as she marched up to the front door and started banging on it. It took a minute or two of Charlotte knocking almost relentlessly for it the door to fly open.

 

Brie Bella poked her head out and scoffed.  “You again. Listen, the only reason I haven’t kicked you out of here or called the cops is because of who your family is.  Don’t make me regret it.”  

 

She went to close the door, but Charlotte reached out and stopped it from closing.  “If you know who my family is, then you know I deserve this chance.”

  
  
Brie sighed, “and you’ll get it, but the gym is in no condition to open right now.  You’ll get your shot when it’s finished.”   
  


 

Charlotte went to say something else, but Brie cut her off.  “No. Enough. We’re going to need at least another week. You are more than welcome to keep waiting, or you can always come back later to try again.  But please, stop banging on the door.”

 

 

Charlotte glared at the gym leader for a while and then finally nodded.  “Fine. But you--”   
  


 

“Owe you.  Yes, we haven’t forgotten Miss Flair.  Now please…” her eyes looked at the door Charlotte was holding open.

 

Charlotte sighed and let the door go, but stayed there staring at it for a while before she turned to Squirtle and Nidoran.  “Fine, we’ll just go train some more. How does that sound?”   


 

Nidoran just looked at her, but Squirtle was already struggling to get her little feet under her, the excitement obvious in her body language.  Charlotte simply recalled Nidoran back into her Pokéball since she didn’t seem too impressed or motivated to move. With that, the blonde and her Squirtle turned and started to make their way towards Route 5 again for more practice.  

 

“Let’s find some more trainers to fight.  What do you say, Squirtle?”   
  


 

Squirtle seemed to hesitate at that slightly, her eyes narrowing at Charlotte as she studied her trainer.  “ _ Squirtle… _ ” she sounded almost incredulous.

 

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she kept walking, fully expecting her Pokémon to keep up.  “What? You love training!”   
  


 

“ _ Squirtle!  Squirtle, squirtle, squirt, squirt.”  _   It was obvious that she was arguing some point that Charlotte didn’t understand, so the blonde just shrugged and kept walking.  

 

It took her all of fifteen minutes to run into another trainer, who looked to be about the same age as her.  He was carrying a few Pokéballs on his belt and had a backpack secured to his shoulders. Charlotte grinned wolfishly as she waved at him and got his attention.

 

It was shaping up to be a halfway decent day.

  
  


_______________

  
  


Charlotte paced around in front of the gym again.  It had been almost two weeks since Team Rocket had attacked, and there still weren’t any signs of it being open any time soon.  She wasn’t too upset by her time spent in Cerulean City though since she had been training pretty hard with both Squirtle and Nidoran.  And in that time she had also left several trainers crying on Route 5, but that honestly wasn’t Charlotte’s problem that they weren’t good enough.  

 

She was turning out to be exactly who her father had spent all that time training her to be, and for that Charlotte was rather pleased.   If the other trainers she encountered couldn’t respect her greatness or understand how and why they had lost to her, that was not her fault.  

 

A throat cleared from behind her.  

 

Charlotte stopped pacing causing her Mr. Mime to crash into her this time with how abruptly she had stopped.  Without really thinking, Charlotte reached down to steady the psychic Pokémon so it didn’t fall over. “Can I help you?” she asked as politely as she could.  

 

Officer Victoria smiled a little sadly at the young trainer.  “I believe you can, though this is kind of embarrassing. I was a huge fan of your father’s when he was on the Elite Four.”

  
  
Charlotte nodded at the older woman as she struggled to keep her annoyance off of her face.  The one thing she hated more than being Ric Flair’s daughter was being  _ reminded  _ that she was Ric Flair’s daughter by his adoring fans.  “Thanks, I’ll make sure to tell him that the next time I’m home.  Now if that’s all…”   
  


 

“It’s not, unfortunately.  We received a call that you were trespassing on the gym’s property and they would like you removed.”

 

Charlotte stood there gaping at the Officer.  “I’m sorry, what?”   
  


 

Officer Victoria took a step towards her and waved a hand at the gym.  “The twins called and said that you had basically been harassing them for the last week at least, while they worked to reopen the gym.”

 

Charlotte opened and closed her mouth several times.  “I didn’t! I was just --”   
  


 

She stopped talking as soon as Officer Victoria put her hand up.  

 

“I’m not saying that you were actively bothering them, but they did mention that they were more than a little concerned for your health, both mental and otherwise.  You show up here very early in the morning and pace around until they shoo you off in the afternoon.”

 

Charlotte huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.  “It’s not that serious.”   


 

  
Officer Victoria shrugged her shoulders.  “You might not think so, but they do. And they’re the trainers at the gym… the gym you’re currently hanging out in front of every day.  If they want you to move on, you have to. There’s not much I can do.”   
  


 

“ _ Squirtle!” _

 

Charlotte whipped her head to glare at her Pokémon, who was once again sitting on the front steps of the gym, kicking her feet in the air since they couldn’t touch the next step down.  “Who’s side are you on?” Charlotte asked in disbelief at how much it sounded like Squirtle was siding with Officer Victoria at that moment.  

 

“ _ Squirtle.  Squirtle, Squirtle.”  _  Her Pokémon shrugged as it popped another berry into her mouth.  When neither Officer Victoria or Charlotte responded, she pointed towards Route 5 and made a motion as if to say  _ hurry up and let’s go _ .

 

Charlotte scoffed.  “You are so impatient.”

 

She turned to Officer Victoria, “I’m not trying to cause trouble Officer, but I need to get a badge from the gym.  My father is expecting me to eventually make it to the Elite four and become one of their members eventually. So I can’t leave until I get this badge.”   
  


 

“I understand that, but the gym isn’t going to be open for at least another three weeks.  There was a large hole blasted through the wall in the basement. That is going to take some time to repair.  You can’t honestly tell me that you’re willing to wait three more weeks just to get this badge. You can always go to another city, get their badge and then come back to this one.”   
  


 

Charlotte shook her head and went to protest, but stopped herself when Officer Victoria placed a hand on her shoulder.  “That wasn’t really a question, dear. I’m trying to politely tell you that you can’t be here until the gym is back to operational status.  So you might as well move on.”   
  


 

Charlotte stared at the Officer for a few very long, tense seconds before she turned and grabbed her backpack from Mr. Mime who had been wearing it.  “Fine. Tell the Bella twins that I  _ will  _  be back, and I  _ will  _ get that badge!”   
  


 

Officer Victoria smiled in a very placating manner.  “I’m sure you will sweetheart. Now, why don’t you go load up on supplies before you head out to the next town?  I hear Celadon City is beautiful this time of year.”   
  


 

Charlotte merely waved over her shoulder dismissively at the Officer as she headed back to the Pokémon Center to get the rest of her gear and make sure her Pokémon were healed one last time before she left.  This was not how she wanted her trip to Cerulean City to end, but she also wasn’t about to get fined or even worse arrested because she was stubborn. Her father would not approve of that. 

 

Once she had gathered everything and had double-checked with Nurse Holly that her Nidoran and Squirtle were in perfect health, Charlotte started making her way out towards Route 9 and the eastern part of the city.  

 

Was it petty for her to go in the opposite direction of what Officer Victoria had suggested?  Most definitely. But Charlotte was not in the mood to accept help from the likes of the Officer who kicked her out of the town.  Whatever good mood she had left was tossed right out the window, just like she had been tossed out on her ass. So she made an impulsive decision and just simply headed towards Route 9 and away from any of the other towns she needed to get to in order to get another badge.

 

The trip from Route 9, through Lavender Town, then Route 7 and back up Route 5 would take her close to three weeks if she took her time.  And at this point, Charlotte was in no rush. She had been so close to getting a Cascade Badge that she didn’t want another one until she had that one in her hand.  It was the principle of the thing now. She felt like she had something to prove to herself, to her father, to the Bella twins and most definitely to Bayley, Becky, and Sasha. 

  
So Charlotte tightened the straps of her backpack, made sure that Squirtle was okay to follow her on foot, rolled her eyes at the Mr. Mime that was  _ still _ following her and took off to the next part of her adventure.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so once again I am apologizing for how it took me to update this. Between 16 hour workdays and Directive 51, I found myself barely having time to sleep. So... yeah, unfortunately, this had to be put on the back burner. BUT!!! It is now winter here and my work schedule has slowed down immensely, so the next one won't take as long. You are all freaking rockstars for putting up with this massive delay, and I can't thank you enough for at least coming back to read the story. This fandom that I somehow stumbled into has been one of the best things to have happened to me in a very long time, and a lot of it is because of you all. So keep being awesome you funky little nerds.


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